Baystate Appoints Jennifer Faulkner to VP Position

SPRINGFIELD — Jennifer Faulkner, who began her career at Baystate Medical Center 17 years ago as a writer and video producer, has been appointed vice president for Team Member Engagement & Communications for Baystate Health.

Faulkner and her team provide creative and communications expertise to advance the Baystate Health’s mission and goals, and implement engagement-building activities in support of the organization’s team-member experience. Baystate Health is the region’s largest private employer, now with 11,500 team members in more than 80 locations, serving the healthcare needs of patients and families in a 24/7 environment.

“Jennifer is known as a creative collaborator who has helped to positively manage change and develop communications best practices that have been adopted by other organizations,” said Jennifer Endicott, senior vice president, Strategy and External Relations, and chief strategy officer for Baystate Health.

Faulkner holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and English from Springfield College, and a master’s degree in health communications from Boston University. After beginning her career as a writer and video producer at Baystate, Faulkner subsequently held progressive leadership responsibilities in the Department of Marketing & Communications as manager and director.

Her internal communications leadership has supported cultural change during a time of growth for the organization. She has led projects such as comprehensive communications across the organization for the transition to Baystate Health’s smoke-free environment, the communications campaign for Baystate Medical Center’s Hospital of the Future expansion, and most recently for grassroots development of an employee value proposition.

In addition, Faulkner’s team established the organization’s employee-communications program, converted from a traditional to digital annual report, initiated the organization’s first video webcast, and established Baystate Health’s first employee-communications advisory group. She and her team have earned national awards for their communications work and have presented best practices to other organizations.

In addition to her communications responsibilities, Faulkner has contributed her energy to the success of Baystate Health as a designer and presenter of engagement ‘funshops’ for managers and as co-chair of the first employee fund-raising campaign for Baystate Medical Center in 2011, raising nearly $1 million among team members for the hospital’s expansion. She also serves as executive sponsor for BH Pride, the LGBTQ & Friends employee-resource group, and was named national Executive Champion of the Year in 2013.

Faulkner holds membership in such professional organizations as the International Assoc. of Business Communicators and the New England Society for Healthcare Communications.